Reconquest of the national territory: almost 30% of the Defense-Security Budget

• Or approximately 960 billion FCFA

• To recruit more and better equip the FDS

• An increase due to terrorism

Dn a report entitled “Analysis of the causes of conflicts and their impacts on the implementation of the PNDES”, published in March 2021, the National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDES) mentioned that terrorism had forced the government to redevelop successively the State budget to give priority to the defense-security sector. Indeed, from 2016 to 2020, around 25% of the State Budget was allocated to Security and Defense. Between 2015 and 2019, the budget of the Ministry of National Defense and Veterans Affairs increased, i.e. +140%.

This increase in Defense-Security spending has not changed, worse, it has been reinforced since the arrival of the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, on September 30, 2022, who decided to wage total war on terrorists who sow desolation among populations until they give up. To make its will concrete, the transitional government has adopted a “war budget”, in 2023, of 600 billion FCFA. This amount is a first in the war waged by the Burkinabe state against terrorists, because, in 2022, the budget allocated to security and defense was 416 billion FCFA. The bar of 500 billion FCFA had just been crossed in the history of the adoption of state budgets in Burkina Faso. The 600 billion FCFA were used, among other things, to reorganize the army, to equip it with modern means of defense (drones), to massively recruit defense and security forces (FDS) and volunteers for the defense of the homeland (VDP), to drive these outlaws out of the territory.

After the adoption of this war budget, what about the 2024 budget?

Since the adoption of the State Budget for 2024, on December 15, 2023, by the deputies of the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT), public opinion has been informed that the 2024 Budget amounts to 3,019 billion FCFA in revenue. and 3.694 billion FCFA in expenditure.

For the Minister of Economy, Finance and Foresight, Dr Aboubakar Nacanabo, the 2024 Budget will allow the transitional government to restore the integrity of the territory and manage the humanitarian crisis. To show all its determination to make these objectives realistic, the government requested, from MPs, a significant increase in the budget allocated to the defense and security sectors. The deputies acceded to this government request by increasing the rate of the defense-security budget from 12.49% in 2016 to 20.27% in 2022, then to 28.42% in 2023, to stand at 29.49% in 2024, or approximately an amount of 960 billion FCFA in 2024. “The insecurity that Burkina Faso is experiencing affects all economic activity in the country, and the objective of the security budget is to quickly get out of this situation,” said insisted the minister, on the antennas of National Television. The 960 billion FCFA should make it possible to take into account certain emergencies such as the support of VDP which will increase from 60,000 FCFA in 2023 to 80,000 FCFA in January 2024. This budget will also make it possible to acquire sophisticated weapons and build new barracks for the 25 Rapid Intervention Battalions (BIR) and the 12 Groups of Mobile Intervention Units (GUMI) of the National Police, deployed throughout the national territory. Without forgetting the training of auxiliary gendarmes, etc. o

Ambéternifa Crépin SOMDA

Box 1

Defense-security budget from 2020 to 2024

Box 2

The government must not pull too hard…

Aith the President of the Transition, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, national sovereignty is non-negotiable; hence the whole military thing. A strategy which is recording tangible results, as evidenced by these terrorist attacks which the Burkinabè army managed to repel, thanks to the drones which entered their decisive phase under its leadership. These drones routed more than 3,000 terrorists, according to the government, who tried to take the military detachment of Djibo, a town located 240 km from the capital, on November 26, 2023. These drones today prevent us from the scenarios of Nassoumbou and Tanwalbougou, where military camps fell, with tragedies. However, it will be necessary, at some point, to review this military strategy, because it entails enormous financial sacrifices on the part of the Burkinabè. The security crisis, Covid-19, the Ukrainian crisis, inflation in the prices of basic necessities weigh heavily on the daily lives of Burkinabè people. Businesses are buckling under the impact of taxes and Burkinabe taxpayers are not left out. The housewife’s basket shrinks every day without a glimmer of hope. Through the war effort, the Burkinabè prove that they want an end to this war, but until when? The government of transition must not pull too much on confidence, nay, on the already fragile rope.

Box 3

Budget allocation for social sectors in 2024

Source : Budget exercice 2024

Box 4

Has the budget nomenclature changed?

Dince the first terrorist attack, on October 9, 2015, in Samorogouan (Hauts-Bassins region), budgetary allocations have undergone a profound change. And for good reason, the social sectors have been relegated to the background, in favor of security and defense. Successive governments have changed the budget nomenclature to give more financial resources to Security and Defense. o

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